2010 Ryder Cup coverage has continued after a suspension of play. Early on in play, the Ryder Cup results weren’t looking all that great, but about midway through the first day of play, Team USA had taken the lead. The projected score currently sits at three to one in favor of Team USA, but due to the suspension of play due to rain, there is still a lot of golf to go on Friday. The day of competition on Friday is split between the Friday morning Four Ball and the Friday afternoon foursomes. Once they get through the Four Ball, they can finally get to the foursomes.

The way that the Four Ball works is that each team sends out four pairs of golfers who are placed into two vs. two match-ups. Those pairings for day one on the course were Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson up against Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer of Team Europe, Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar against Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods vs. Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher, and finally Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton vs. Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington on Friday. At the halfway point, Team USA was only losing the Mickelson/Johnson pairing.

The way that the Friday morning fourballs works is all of the players are shooting 18 holes of golf, but the lowest score of each partnership is what is counted on each of the holes. It allows for a golfer to have a bad hole and for it to not negatively affect the outcome for the team; this format really relies on players working as a team to try to get the lowest scores possible. To win one of the matches, you merely need to end up with the lower derive as a pair, and for winning it you get one point toward the Ryder Cup outcome. Rounds can also be tied, giving each pairing half a point as the final result.

It has been a really competitive day in Wales, despite all of the inclement weather they have been experiencing. During the first few holes that were covered on ESPN, it was very apparent that the golfers were moving from being excited on the course to becoming frustrated with the weather. Team USA was trying out new rain gear that wasn’t working as well as they had hoped, and Mickelson was even trying out new gloves that were supposed to help his grip on the clubs.

Live Ryder Cup scores can be seen at the link below, and television coverage will extend through the weekend.

References:

Full_Ryder_Cup_TV_Schedule

Live_Ryder_Cup_Scores

That collective gasp you heard came all the way from the PGA Tour offices the day after the U.S. Open, when Tiger Woods declared that he was done. The face of golf is now gone, for at least the rest of 2008. His novel surgery was deemed a success, but it is not clear when Tiger will be back and how long it will take Tiger to be the player we have grown to love. So how will the PGA Tour survive? The short reply….they won’t. Just like when Michael Jordan left basketball, Tiger Woods departure for the rest of the year will slay the PGA Tour season. The last two majors will now be placed with an asterisk in the history books. They might as well call them minors. Afterall, the PGA Tour is Tiger Woods and then everybody else. As grand as we would like to believe that golf will be pleasing, unless Tiger can come back and be the Tiger of stale, we may have honest witnessed the last greatest golf event.

Could this be one of those memories like Jordan hitting that game winner against the Jazz to win his last championship? Tiger’s winning putt at Torrey Pines could be his final memorable shot. Does anyone remember a single moment of Jordan’s days as a Wizard….I didn’t think so. If Tiger comes back and is just an average golfer, do you think he will continue? No. He is very aware of his legacy and as much as he wants to break Jack’s records for wins, majors, etc, he is too proud to be just like everyone else. If cannot compete to fetch, he will not compete. And this is more likely than what anyone else will tell you.

Tiger’s golf swing will have to be reformed. This is surgery number 3 on that same knee. Of course, the doctors will tell you he will be pretty, but Tiger will not be able to make that move of snapping his left knee straight. And as any golfer can tell you, a drastic swing change can lead to danger. Does anyone remember David Duval? There have been plenty of stories about golfers who have changed their swing and not been the same golfer. This is a very real possibility for Tiger. He has been making the same move since birth and now at the age of 32, he is going to transform his swing? We are not talking little adjustments like he has done in the past, we are talking major overhaul. His knee will not be able to support that swing much longer, even if it is repaired. So the PGA Tour needs to start putting understanding B in place in case this does occur.

Look at other sports rise and fall. They all fell when the league was focused on 1 or 2 players. Tennis hasn’t been the same since Agassi and Sampras retired. The Williams sisters brought women’s tennis up and now can any American name the top 2 women players? Look at the NHL, there’s a sport that is in the tank. I think it was easier to find a needle in a haystack the the NHL playoffs on TV. They haven’t been the same since Gretszky. Baseball fell apart years ago and was brought abet by Sosa and McGwire’s steroid-fueled home run display. And like I talked about before, the NBA hasn’t been the same since Jordan retired. Finally, this year the ratings were boosted a little, but not near the ratings the Bulls/Jazz series got. The only sport that seems to be insulated is the NFL. That is mostly due in part to the fact that people care more about the names on the helmet than on the jerseys. Fans realize players come and go, but the team stays. So that takes us back to the PGA Tour. If you hold that Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, or the like can bring in a fan base, you are dead wrong. People want to see some make the clutch putt, not stumble to victory.

The only chance the PGA Tour has is if one of their young stars makes a run in Tiger’s presence. We already know what those other “rivals” are capable of when Tiger is on. So if those guys open giving Tiger a run for his money, we will all just believe Tiger is as good as he once was. We need a guy like Anthony Kim who just joined the tour last year to start making a run. Someone young, new face that hasn’t challenged Tiger in the past. Sorry Sergio, you missed your chance too. So here’s hoping that in the next year to two years, a collegiate golfer steps up through the ranks and wins at least 3 times. This procedure, golf might just be able to keep its mystique. The only way Rocky was able to make 1000 movies, was to bring new challengers in. If they kept bringing back Apollo and Drago after Rocky beat them, everyone would just think Rocky was getting old and wasn’t the same. Phil and the others are the already beaten challengers. The PGA Tour needs a new challenger…..let’s just see if there are any takers.

This poem is inspired by Tiger Woods and the fantastic odds he’s had to overcome to have such success in golf.

“Hello, world,” says the young black-skinned man
As he strides onto the gaping green…
A darkened ship among waters of white
Must push to stay afloat

Defending his victory with nine-iron sword,
He breaks into the landscape
Firing orbs into his rivals’ faces
With the quiet unwavering

Tiger, they call him, stalking his prey
To the course he moves upon;
The numbers lay low, as he seeks the next
Hole that sits silent in wait

With his muscles now flexed
And his grip filled with force
He unleashes his bullet-like swing

And the ball flies skyward
To meet with its end
As the Tiger’s victorious again.

Sports loving people who watch golf may reflect it’s easy to hit the ball on the ground to the desired location. But golf players will tell you how difficult it really is to keep the proper golf swing to hit the ball to that location. Moreover, the time and dedication it requires to achieve the proficiency in getting the perfect swing.

The most famous tip for having a perfect golf swing is to withhold your head down and keep your eyes on the ball. Most people may argue that keeping the head upwards help to hit the ball at the desired place but keeping the head down on the ball is more beneficial in getting the correct swing. This helps to avoid any hooking or slicing or topping the ball to send it a few yards.

There are various essential components of the swing. The help swing has to be smooth and steady to get a better shot. Keep your body low at the time of back-swing in its original residence to hit the ball correctly.

The downswing should start from your hip and should be accelerated which allows you to hit the shot longer. Make sure to rotate your hips toward the target and see to it that your lower fraction of the body rotate before your upper body. Follow through properly and don’t haste to stop just after hitting the ball.

If all of the above things seem pretty difficult to remember than practice to swing simply without the headache of hitting the golf ball correctly. With good swinging practice you will attain grace in your swing and you will be able to adjust yourself to hit the ball correctly.

Though you may not be scoring big initially, but continued practice will help you in getting perfect swings and improve your salvage gradually.

If you wish to have proper golf swing to excel in the game then don’t waste time and learn the proper swings with practice. Over a period of time you may do the required swing in this game.

Achieving the proper golf swing shouldn’t be difficult. To learn more on achieving the proper golf swing visit my Squidoo lens:http://www.squidoo.com/achieving-the-proper-golf-swing

EA Sports has made a name for itself as the preeminent sports video game maker. Whether you have a Playstation 2, an Xbox, or anything else under then sun, odds are that you’ll be able to play your common sport via one of EA’s titles. One of their best selling games has always been the Tiger Woods line. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 for Playstation 2 brings a number of new features and is redesigned for better and more realistic game play.

Tiger Woods 2006 first offers an all new Rivals mode that allows you to pit yourself against some of the greatest golfers ever on you contrivance to becoming the greatest golfer of all time. Play against legends like Jack Nickalus, Arnold Palmer, and pros from today like Vijay Singh. Beat them and increase your overall ranking until you become the undisputed #1 golfer ever. Tiger’ll challenge you here and there, and you won’t be able to become number one until you meet his expectations. A unique aspect of the rivals mode is that you won’t only play legends of golf, but you’ll travel back in time to play them during the peak of their careers, making it even more difficult for you. Each pro will challenge you to things like long drive challenges and putting contents. Beat them and increase your ability and ranking.

Something much different in Tiger Woods 2006 than earlier editions is the original shot mechanics. Previously you could swing and assign with using only one analog stick. Now you can employ the other to put saunter on the ball, or you can change the point of impact for fades and draws, as well as high lofted shots or low stinging drives. Putting is completely different as well. Instead of offering you distances, i.e. Aim 6 inches left and 1 foot long, you have to fend for yourself by reading the green correctly. It takes a little getting used to but it makes the game that much more realistic and challenging. 

Also new to the 2006 version is the ability to place wagers on your shots and rounds. Up the ante before a challenge or match by agreeing to harder conditions or by removing clubs and skills. If you win you end up with that considerable more cash to spend at the pro shop. You can also call your shot. Put some cash down and see if you can bank your shot of the tree and onto the green when you are playing heads up. It’s hard, but you’ll surely impress your competitors if you can pull it off. There are plenty of new courses and golfers to keep things interesting, including a few hidden gems and players that will surprise you.
As a reward for playing well and hitting good shots, the 2006 model has a new gamebreaker meter that increases with every well-played shot. Post a low score and it increases until you can consume your built up meter for making fantastic shots in clutch situations. The better you get, the more likely you’ll be able to hole out from 250 yards for a double eagle.

Tiger Woods 2006 is available for play online if you have a compatible Playstation 2 system. Up to 4 players can play, and it is rated E for everyone. You can buy it almost anywhere for around $30. This is the best golf game out there, so if you know someone who likes video games and likes golf, then this is a great gift.

2010 Ryder Cup coverage has continued after a suspension of play. Early on in play, the Ryder Cup results weren’t looking all that colossal, but about midway through the first day of play, Team USA had taken the lead. The projected score currently sits at three to one in favor of Team USA, but due to the suspension of play due to rain, there is still a lot of golf to go on Friday. The day of competition on Friday is split between the Friday morning Four Ball and the Friday afternoon foursomes. Once they get through the Four Ball, they can finally get to the foursomes.

The way that the Four Ball works is that each team sends out four pairs of golfers who are placed into two vs. two match-ups. Those pairings for day one on the course were Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson up against Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer of Team Europe, Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar against Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods vs. Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher, and finally Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton vs. Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington on Friday. At the halfway point, Team USA was only losing the Mickelson/Johnson pairing.

The way that the Friday morning fourballs works is all of the players are shooting 18 holes of golf, but the lowest score of each partnership is what is counted on each of the holes. It allows for a golfer to have a abominable hole and for it to not negatively affect the outcome for the team; this format really relies on players working as a team to try to get the lowest scores possible. To bag one of the matches, you merely need to end up with the lower score as a pair, and for winning it you net one point toward the Ryder Cup outcome. Rounds can also be tied, giving each pairing half a point as the final result.

It has been a really competitive day in Wales, despite all of the inclement weather they have been experiencing. During the first few holes that were covered on ESPN, it was very apparent that the golfers were moving from being excited on the course to becoming frustrated with the weather. Team USA was trying out unusual rain gear that wasn’t working as well as they had hoped, and Mickelson was even trying out new gloves that were supposed to help his grip on the clubs.

Live Ryder Cup scores can be seen at the link below, and television coverage will extend through the weekend.

References:

Full_Ryder_Cup_TV_Schedule

Live_Ryder_Cup_Scores

With the first Major of the year set to kick off on Thursday, two questions linger: 1) Will Tiger Woods put on his 5th green jacket and inch ever closer to Jack Nicklaus’ Major wins record? and 2) If not Tiger, then who? Here’s a list of the top 5 (including Tiger) contenders for the 2009 Master’s.

1. Tiger Woods – Tiger is potentially the best golfer ever. Since 2001, Tiger has won three and was a runner up in the past two. The major worry is how he will respond coming off of his knee surgery, though if his win two weeks ago at Bay Hill is any indication, his knee will be a non-factor. Tiger has been improving as he’s played his past three tournaments, so ultimately the question remains as to whether it was enough.

2. Phil Mickelson – Mickelson is a bit of an up and down player. When he’s worthy, he’s nearly unbeatable, but when he’s down, it makes one wonder how he could ever have won at all. Certainly his struggles in Houston last weekend did not help. At the same time, Lefty can’t be counted out seeing as how he is the world’s second ranked player. He is a past champion and is not scared to play with Tiger. The key to his success will be whether he can stay on the fairway.

3. Padraig Harrington – Harrington does not have a good history at the Master’s, but he’s won the past two majors and three of the last six. He at least has the chance to be in contention, though, his margin for error is remarkable slimmer than Tiger or Mickelson. Harrington’s story may be more compelling because he has a chance to continue a possible Majors spacious slam.

4. Retief Goosen – Goosen finished second at last year’s Master’s and has been inconsistent since. However, Goosen has reworked his swing and it is possible for things to fall together at just the moral moment for him. Goosen finished in the top three for the past three Master’s, so he also has the emotional motivation to net over the hump.

5. Anthony Kim – The past two Master’s winners have been somewhat of wildcards. This year’s wildcard could be Kim. This is Kim’s first Master’s, but he is either cocky enough to deal with the pressures or not mature enough to realize them. Still, Kim has played well in modern years, and he is a part of a younger generation that isn’t as intimidated by Woods as the older generation.

Sources:

Brent Kelley, “Men’s Majors – Most Victories“, About.com
“Masters past champions“, Espn.com
“Woods Dominating Build-Up To Masters“, Ireland.com
Shane Bacon, “Phil Should Forget About Houston“, Golf Fanhouse
Bob Harig, “Paddy Slam isn’t priority for Harrington“, Espn.com
David Westin, “Goosen wants change to pay off“, Augusta.com
“Kim ready to win in debut” Straits Times.com

Everyone has their popular players in the world of sports and golf is definitely no exception; ask 10 golf fanatics for their opinion and you will probably get 10 completely different answers. It’s hard to compare a golf champion of today with one help in the 40’s because the bar is always being plot higher, and the criteria for greatness has become such a dynamic measurement. After consulting with several different experts and weighing each of their opinions carefully, here are the top five golfers in the history of the PGA.

1. Jack Nicklaus

There is no disputing the greatest golfer in the history of golf. Every list from The Top 10 Site to About.com and Travel and Leisure agree that Jack Nicklaus hands down is the best player to ever swing a seven iron, and his consistency year after year has never been replicated. Jack Nicklaus accumulated 92 total career victories including 18 in the majors and 19 second place finishes in the competition, both of which are records not likely to be challenged anytime soon. His career spanned from 1962 through 1986 and for twenty-five years he took on top performers like Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. Known as “The Golden Bear,” Nicklaus to this day is still the all around golfing king.

2. Tiger Woods

Some put Woods further down on the list, simply because he is young and the bulk of his career performance remains to be seen. Yet, no one can deny that this golfing champion possesses a talent unparalleled in the sport. His career could be over this very moment and he would still beat out some of the very best golfers ever…all except Nicklaus that is. He has also catapulted himself into superstardom as a recognizable personality, something no other player in this sport has done to this day. Yet another record breaker, he is the highest paid sports performer in US history, and globally for that matter. Tiger Woods has definitely earned the title, and by the time he retires the odds are likely that he will bump Nicklaus to the number two spot.

3. Ben Hogan

Hogan played in the early forties to mid fifties with 64 career wins and 9 in the majors. He was in a terrible car accident in 1949, which nearly ended his life, yet he still powered through as a force in the sport. The several years prior to his accident he was at his prime and arguably as popular in his day as Tiger Woods is now. Ben Hogan is truly a golf legend that will not soon be forgotten.

4. Gary Player

Right in there with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Gary Player was known as one of the “Big Three” in golf. He can, without dispute, lay claim to the title of playing more professional golf tours than any other player, and his legacy is not expected to soon be surpassed. He’s had 9 major wins and is the only golfer of the 20^th century to play across three decades.

5. Arnold Palmer

Palmer didn’t create the top list in some judges’ eyes, but if you look at his career as a whole he really deserves it. After all, the guy even has a drink named after him! He had a certain charisma that couldn’t easily be denied and a following of die hard fans who were nicknamed “Arnie’s Army”. His seven major wins and fame as a common household name in the golden days of television have earned him a spot on this list, and even at the bottom he’s still in great company.

The year began with great promise and anticipation for PGA Tour star Phil Mickelson. After winning the last major tournament of 2005, Mickelson had high hopes for the 2006 season. Phil Mickelson, the #2 player in the world tedious Tiger Woods, practiced thoroughly with his swing coach and his short game coach. The preparation seemed to be paying off as April rolled around. Phil Mickelson already had five top ten finishes, including a hasten away regain at the Bell South Classic. Mickelson was at the top of his game and firing on all cylinders heading into the 2006 Masters, the first major tournament of the year.

Phil Mickelson continued to roll, playing four solid rounds of golf and walking away with the win. The win at the Masters gave him his second green jacket and the third major win of his career. In addition, he had now won two consecutive PGA golf tournaments and the last two majors. With the last two majors under his belt, Phil Mickelson had a chance at the Stout Slam. The Grand Slam is golf’s greatest achievement. In order to complete the Grand Slam, a golfer must win all four major tournaments in a row. Only Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods have accomplished this amazing feat.

Phil Mickelson went into the U.S. Open looking for his third consecutive major victory. All eyes were on Phil as he looked to recede one step closer to the Grand Slam. The term “Mickelslam” was coined in anticipation of Phil possibly winning the Grand Slam. With Phil Mickelson’s recent success, the golf world was beginning to view him as a real threat to replace Tiger Woods as the #1 golfer in the world. Mickelson has always had the talent, but he seemed to come up short in the majors. Now, with three major wins in three years, Phil Mickelson was beginning to rep the mammoth ones. The world of golf was buzzing with the possibility of Phil challenging Tiger’s #1 world ranking.

At the U.S. Open, Mickelson continued to play great golf. He was tied for the lead at the beginning of the final round on Sunday. Standing on the 18th tee at the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson led the tournament by one stroke and needed only a par to win. One more par and the Mickelslam would be a real possibility. Then, the wheels fell off. First, Phil hit a wild drive off the 18th tee that wound up far left of the fairway. His second shot hit a tree and his third shot found a sand trap. With jubilation turning to desperation, Phil Mickelson took three more strokes to hole out and finished the hole with a double bogey. He lost the tournament and finished in a tie for second place.

The collapse at the U.S. Open left Phil devastated. After the U.S. Open, Mickelson finished tied for 22nd at the British Open, which was won by Tiger Woods. At the PGA Championship, Phil Mickelson was paired with Tiger Woods for the first two rounds. Amid worthy fanfare and media attention, Mickelson birdied the first two holes of the PGA Championship. Off to a fast start, it appeared he was back on track. Tiger was ahead of Phil after two rounds, but they were both in contention. Then, over the weekend, Phil stumbled and Tiger roared. Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship for his second consecutive major and Phil Mickelson finished in a tie for 16th place.

Aside from the British Commence and PGA Championship, Mickelson seems to have given up on the season. He has finished in 65th, 71st, and 54th place in his last three tournaments that were not majors. A season that began with so much hope and success has withered into disappointment. It appears that Phil Mickelson just wants this season to end as hastily as possible. Hopefully, with some time away in the off-season, Mickelson can gain some perspective and learn from the 2006 season. As disappointing as his U.S. Open finish was, he still won the Masters this year. And any year that you win a major tournament is a successful year. So, with his roller coaster go of a season ending, Phil Mickelson needs to look forward and not back. The 2007 PGA season will offer both opportunities and challenges for Mickelson. As always, there is one appropriate quiz when it comes to Mickelson. What will Phil do next?

Tiger Woods is already creating hard feelings among his golfing colleagues. One of the PGA Tours biggest tournament in the Accenture Match Play Championship which is happening this week. Of all the times Tiger Woods could have picked to do his press conference, he picked 11 am Friday, which will pre-empt the Accenture Tournament. Is this his way to sticking it to Accenture? Some of his colleagues think so. Ernie Els came right out and called Woods “SELFISH” for picking that time slot.

Tiger Woods has always had a temper, evident many times by his temper leading to throwing his golf clubs on the golf links. Accenture was one of the many sponsors that dropped him when his “Mistress Sex Scandal” overwhelmingly hit the media.

There was much speculation that Tiger was going to make his advance back at the Accenture Tournament, which as you know, did not happen. After much publicity about his return to that tournament, his manager said that Tiger would not be playing Accenture.

Many view this was Tiger’s design of getting an stare for an eye. They turned him down, so he would do the same.

Is Tiger’s press conference another “sticking it to Accenture” as another golf pro claimed today? Tiger could hold a press conference in the middle of a hurricane and the press would reach. It is awfully coincidental that he did pick the time the tournament would be teeing off.

Tiger has been hard at work since his return from sex addiction rehab. He has done a private photo shoot with Getty, very posed right down to the angle of the brim of his golf cap.

With all the media reports that Tiger had major facial reconstruction after a suggested golf club beating from his wife, his face looks the same, nothing shifted, indented or crooked.

Survey Tigers New Pictures Here: 1. Tiger’s New Pictures and 2. New Picture Running

Next, Tiger’s statement that he plans to read at this much talked about press conference was supposedly leaked to the press. TMZ has posted it, but they have questions about the authenticity of the statement. It just doesn’t seem to be something Tiger would catch about at a press conference. Read it yourself and see what you think. If it is true, it certainly is not what we would expect from Tiger right now.

Read Tiger’s Leaked Statement: Tigers Statement For Press Conference

We will all be tuned in tomorrow to watch what the bad boy of golf is planning as part of his redemption. Maybe once he gets back to playing the game, things will finally calm down.

Reference: TMZ Statement, TMZ Story, TMZ Picture 1, TMZ Picture 2, Fox News Live